


Part of the Family

by unfolded73



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Captain Cobra - Freeform, F/M, Gen, Season/Series 06, Step-parents
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-07
Updated: 2017-04-07
Packaged: 2018-10-15 23:59:58
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,019
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10559932
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/unfolded73/pseuds/unfolded73
Summary: A Captain Cobra fic. Inspired by some meta by @gusenitsaa on tumblr, contains spoilers for 6x15 and some spec for 6x17, based on the little we know (and hope).





	

Killian padded downstairs on bare feet, in search of some of those wondrous headache pills this land was replete with. It had been an exhausting few days in which he’d experienced both desperate loneliness and desperate happiness, and it had taken its toll on him physically. But the curse on Emma’s parents was now broken (and the way his and Emma’s own love had made that happen still made him almost dizzy to think of) and while it would probably take some time to regain David’s trust, it felt like it was possible.

Opening a cabinet, Killian pulled down the pill bottle and emptied two onto the countertop, then swallowed them with a glass of water. He smiled in spite of his headache, remembering the way Emma had apologized for doubting him, then had gotten down on one knee herself to ask _him_ to marry _her_ this time. The ring was now safely back on her finger and she was safely asleep in their bed. With any luck, before too much longer he would make that miraculous woman upstairs his wife.

Killian turned from the kitchen and started to go back upstairs when he detected movement in the dark living room.

He approached the sofa. “Henry?”

“Hey.” The boy was stretched out, his phone in his hands, and those infernal earbuds wedged in his ears.

“You should be asleep, lad, not down here on your phone.”

“I couldn’t sleep.”

Killian cringed for a moment before remembering the silencing spell Emma kept on their bedroom. He breathed a sigh of relief.

“Anything in particular keeping you awake?” Killian asked.

Henry sat up, pulling his earbuds out and setting his phone aside. “Just thinking about… stuff.”

Killian moved to sit by him, then hesitated and looked down at the exposed stump of his left arm under the sleeve of his robe. He didn’t go around the house in front of Henry without his brace on. He didn’t want to make the boy uncomfortable, but he also didn’t want to lose the chance to find out what was bothering him.

He sat down next to Henry.

“Is it anything I can help with?”

Henry shrugged, and they sat silently for a while, waiting each other out. The old house creaked and settled around them, which coupled with the darkness of the room gave the night a mournful air.

“When you came back from the Underworld, I thought…” Henry rubbed his palms off on his pajama pants. “I thought, at least I knew that nothing short of death could tear you away from Mom. And probably not even that.”

“I didn’t leave on purpose, Henry, you have to–”

“Yeah, but you must’ve been thinking about it, right? You must’ve been considering it. Because Grandma saw you down by the docks with a bag, and she didn’t think anything of it at the time, but later… Just tell me the truth; were you considering it?”

Killian closed his eyes, and felt his headache flare up sharper. “I wasn’t ever planning to leave forever, Henry. But the things your mother said, and the things I had done… I thought it would be better for her if I left for a little while to sort myself out. I thought it was what she needed. And I changed my mind; I wasn’t going to go, but Gideon–”

“What about what _I_ needed?”

Killian felt his heart stutter in his chest. “What?”

Henry shifted uncomfortably in this seat. “What about what I needed? I kept thinking, when I came back to save you on the Nautilus, when you asked me if I considered you part of the family … you _asked_ me and I made a joke instead of… instead of telling you that you _are_ a part of our family. And I kept thinking that if I had just said that, maybe you wouldn’t have left Mom.”

“Henry no, I promise you, I understood the way you felt–”

“Then why did you leave? Or, why were you considering leaving without talking to me or leaving me a message? I thought…”

Killian reached for Henry’s shoulder, but held back from touching him, afraid it was unwanted. “You thought what?”

Henry glanced at Killian briefly before looking away. “I thought when you asked Mom to marry you, it was because you really wanted to be a family, and that I… figured in there somewhere, I guess.”

“You do, lad, you absolutely do.” Killian allowed his hand to settle on Henry’s back. “Getting to take part in raising you is one of the most important things I’ll ever do. Helping you get dressed for your school dances and making you breakfast– even if you hate my breakfasts, and playing those video games with you… those things mean so much to me. I’m so sorry, Henry.”

Henry shrugged. “It was Gideon, not you.”

“Aye, but I thought about running and taking the coward’s way out. I swear, Henry, I’ll never do that again.”

“And then Mom just packed up your stuff like…” Henry gestured vaguely at the room.

“She had every right to, considering how things looked,” Killian said, although it stung, hearing that. “Her biggest fear is being abandoned, and it looked like I’d done exactly that. I almost did exactly that of my own volition. Whatever she had to do to deal with it, I won’t begrudge it.”

“It just felt like both of you were giving up on True Love, and that’s not supposed to happen.” He took a shaky breath. “It should be stronger than that.”

“Aye, it should be. It is, I hope.”

Henry darted another glance at him. “I’m glad the wedding’s back on. I was already starting to think of you as my stepfather, so I’m glad it’s going to be official.”

Warmth swelled in Killian’s chest at that, and he felt tears gather in his eyes. He swallowed against a lump in his throat. “Well, as your stepfather, I’m telling you to go to bed and get some sleep, all right?”

Henry smirked. “Fine, I’m going, I’m going.”

“And stay off that bloody phone!”


End file.
